I recommend this hotel for:

Dated but clean, comfortable and good value

Posted by Arthur

Overview
• The Maxim is an older style hotel; a bit dated, but nevertheless clean, well managed and situated across the road from the beach.
• Staff are helpful and polite, but with only one person on duty at a time bottlenecks develop when there is more than one guest or group of guests requiring attention. So you may need to be patient.
Location
• Well situated on Hayarkon Street opposite the beachfront and a few meters from the corner of Bograshov Street, which for my money, is one of the nicest streets in TA with wide pavements and scores of restaurants, cafes, bars, shops and convenience stores.
• 20 minutes pleasant walking will get you to Dizengoff Circle, the heart of this vibrant city.
• There are buses and taxis everywhere.
Room
• Comfort: Older style but adequate and clean with a large and comfy double bed that will ensure you get a good night’s sleep. The furnishings are a bit antiquated comprising two tiny awkward bedside tables and an impractical dresser with two stiff drawers, a mildly useful mirror and a rickety chair. This furniture needs to be turfed out and replaced with modern, usable stuff.
• Storage: Large cupboard with ample hanging and storage space. No usable drawer space.
• TV: Old style boxy one precariously perched on an extended arm just above eye level so watch your head with this one. Limited selection of channels and we struggled with the remote. The only English news channel is Fox News from the US.
• Security: No lock-ups safe in the room but valuables can be stored in safety deposit boxes downstairs at reception. Only problem with this is that you need to get staff to open up for you each time. A safe in the room is so much more practical.
• Outlook: We were lucky to get the corner room on the fourth floor which had sea views out of the pokey windows.
• Noise levels: Perfectly quiet despite the location on busy Hayarkon Street. So try and get a room higher up as I’m not sure what noise levels would be on the lower floors.
• Lighting: Well lit with plenty of natural light as well so no probs to read here.
Bathroom
• This is one part of the room that has been modernised. The result tho is that newish fixtures have had to be crammed into a tiny space leaving it a bit awkward and cramped. The clearance between door and sink probably not more than 1-2 cm. And there’s no storage space except for the shelf atop the basin but anything left there is bound to get wet!
• Good water pressure with shower above the bath. But as with most of these configurations you need to be careful to avoid slipping as there’s no rail or even a non-slip mat. So be ultra careful and use the towel rails to steady yourself.
Access
There’s a little driveway in front of the hotel, useful for taxis to pull into so there’s no need to drag your luggage onto the street.
Amenities
• Limited. No pool, gym or anything of that nature.
• Internet: I’m not sure about wi-fi but if you don’t travel with your own computer, there’s a communal one downstairs with internet access which management kindly allowed us to use for free even though there’s a note in the hotel’s info pack in your room saying that a 15 shekel charge applies for internet usage. But this vague rule was never enforced.
Breakfast
Served downstairs in the dining room adjacent to the lobby. Very adequate and filling with all the usual Israeli brekkie offerings like cheeses, salads, tuna, rolls, toast, cereal, fruit and coffee or tea. The only problem is a lack of space when it gets busy.
Afternoon tea
This is something you’re not likely to find at many other hotels in Israel. Free afternoon tea and cake are served every day between 5.00pm and 6.00pm in the dining room. That’s a nice touch and the cakes are homemade and delicious.
Lobby
Comfortable but dated and if you need the use the bathroom while downstairs you’ll need to walk up a short flight of stairs to reach them.
Best and worst
• Best feature undoubtedly the excellent location across the road from the beach and within walking distance to Diz Circle and Diz Street.
• Worst feature is the slightly outdated furniture and fittings in the room.
Summary
This is what one would call a midrange hotel costing around $US150 per night for a double room with breakfast. At that price, it represents good, solid value and you’ll be perfectly comfortable and well looked after. I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again.

This review is the subjective opinion of the
hotel's guest and not of inisrael.com